CHANGING LIFESTYLE:From Yakult glass containers to Presidential Office souvenir coins, the wealth of items found at a dumpsite presents a glimpse into the past

Hand grenades, bullets, a magazine and mortar ammunition found in the Neihu District garbage dump are displayed on Thursday.

Photo: Chang Chuan-chia, Taipei Times

Clearing out a garbage dump in Neihu District (內湖) has yielded unexpected treasures that will be put up for exhibition starting next week, a Taipei City Government official said.

The Neihu site was used as a garbage dump from 1970 to 1985. The city started cleaning up the area in 2006 in preparation for turning it into a park, said Wu Sheng-chung (吳盛忠), director of Taipei City’s Department of Environmental Protection.

Workers who have been cleaning out the garbage found a wealth of items, evoking memories of a bygone era. They range from glass containers that Yakult Co used to package its probiotic beverages (as opposed to the plastic containers that it currently uses) and bottles of Sun Ser (雙喜) soft drinks to Presidential Office souvenir coins minted and distributed in 1984, Wu said.

“The lack of knowledge about recycling has turned what had been other people’s trash into modern-day relics,” Wu said, with a laugh.

Yakult’s glass bottles, production of which was halted after 1970,had been a part of many people’s childhood, Wu said.

Purchasing the bottled drinks was a sign of affluence at the time, he said.

Workers also found different liquor bottles released to commemorate the birthday of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) from the 1960s to the 1970s, Wu said, adding that they presented further proof of how people both venerated and feared the former president.

Many stone pestles and scales — a common sight in the old days whose use has gradually faded over the years — were also found during the cleanup, Wu said.

The relics and artifacts found in the dump are being cleaned up and will be put up for exhibition starting on Wednesday as part of the 2013 Taiwan International Green City Development project at the Taipei World Trade Center, Wu said.

The exhibition will be open to the general public starting on Saturday.